Vending machine



Dec, 30. 1.924.A

E. B. BICKER VENDING MACHINE Filed April 15 1921 Patented ec. 3), i924.

UNITED STATES EDGAR, B. BICKER, Oli ST. LQUS, LESSOURI.

VENDING MACHINE.

Application filed April 15, 1921.

To ZZ fr0/tom t may concern.:

Be it known that I, Encan B. Brenna, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri,

5 have invented a new and useful Vending Machine, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in vending machines and the objectof my invention is to provide la machine of simple,

durable and inexpensive construction, especially designed for use inconnection with the vending of chewing gum, in ball form, and whereinthe coin insertion effects both the release and delivery of the balls ofgum.

My improvements consist in the novel construction, arrangement andcombination of parts as hereinafter fully, clearly and concisely setforth, definitely pointed out in my claims and illustrated by theaccompanying drawing, in which A Fig. 1 is a vertical sectionalelevation of a machine embodying my improvements.

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view taken on the line indicated 2 2 of Fig.1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmental, detail sectional elevation taken on the lineindicated 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmental plan view H0 showing a coin actuatedlocking device for the article delivery means.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional, fragmental elevation of a deliverychute, taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 6 is a fragmental detail sectional elevation showing means for keylocking the rticle and coin receptacles to the machine ase.

Referring by numerals to the drawings,

10 designates the machine base upon which is supported the coinreceptacle 11, preferably constructed as a cylinder and of sheet metaland provided with a foot flange 12 arranged for detachable securing tothe base as by means such as clips 13, a lock 14 and staple 15.

Secured over the top of the coin receptacle is a partition 16 whichforms the bottom of the article receptacle 17.

In my drawing the article receptacle is serial no. 461,535.

of substantially globular vshape and constructed of transparent glass,which is my preference, but which obviously may be made of other desiredshapes and of other suitable materials, as will be apparent from theappended claims.

The receptacle shown is open at its top and bot-tom and is secured overthe partition 16 by means of a bolt 18 and cap 19, by which the articlereceptacle is separable from the coin receptacle, only, upon access tothe bolt from within the normally keylocled coin receptacle.

To hold the article receptacle against lateral displacement relative tothe coin receptacle l provide a foot flange 20, on the articlereceptacle and a plurality of clips 21, secured to the partition, 16,which overhang the foot flange, and of which at least one is adjustableradially of the article receptacle to permit a releasing of the footflange 20.

The partition 16 is provided with a discharge opening 22, beneath whichthere is secured an element comprising three depending walls 28, 241-and 25, of which the walls 23 and 24 are spaced from the partition, toprovide for moven'icnts of the article releasing and delivering means,presently described, and which three walls form an article pocket, whichis of itself open at one side, and open at its top and bottom. Thepartition is secured, permanently to the coin receptacle, either bywelding or rivets (not shown) and to this end is provided with adown-turned marginal flange 26, through 85 which and through the coinreceptacle, as best shown in Fig. 1 are formed registering openings,hereafter termed the coin slot, 27

` which resides in a plane slightly lower than the partition 16 wherebya lip 28 is: pro- 90 vided for a purpose hereinafter made clear.Piercing the partition in line with the discharge opening 22 and coinslot 27 is a pivot, preferably a bolt 29, which pivotally suspends thearticle releasing element 30 95 and the article delivering element 81,and which bolt also secures the coin shelf 32.

The article releasing element 30 consists of a single piece of sheetmetal whose major or body portion, is perforated to receive the bolt 29,nearer to the coin slot 27 than the discharge opening 22 whereby the endnext the opening 22 Will have greater travel than the end next the coinslot;

As best shown in Fig. 2 the releasing element y30 isr provided at itsend neXt the discharge opening With a gate 33, underlying the dischargeopening normally, and of a length substantially that of the diameteofthe discharge opening and of a Width, preferably, less than the diameterkof the discharge opening, by which latter expedient a lesser travel ofthe gate 33 is required to free the discharge opening to drop7 anarticle from the article receptacle i7 to the pocket forme-d by theWalls 23, 24 and 25. At its end, next the coin slot, the articlereleasing means carries a projection 34, which like the gatef 33,recited, and for the same reason, is located Wholly to one side of theelement, as a vvhole.

This projection 34, extends to approximate the inner surface of the coinreceptacle 11, and at its outer terminal, next the coin slot is bevelledto form a cam 35, which is engaged by an inserted coin to rock theentire element to elfect a Vmovement of the gate 33 from a positionbeneath the discharge opening (as shown to a position laterally removedfrom the discharge opening (as shown by broken lines in Fig. 2).V

From the cam 35, and along the median line of the element there is anedge 36, bevelled (as Vin Fig 3) and at a right angle thereto is a.vshoulderl 37 Which limits the insertion of the coin.

The article releasing element, as a Whole, is'rnoved in onedirection-'by avspring 38 and a stop 39, formed preferably by strikingan ear from the partition 16 .is arranged to limit such movement so thatsaid spring will hold the element in its normal resting or initialposition. l

The article delivering element, like the releasing element justdescribed, is preferably constructed of a single piece of sheet metaland is perforated to receive the pivotholt 29, its end next thedischarge opening, comprising an extension 40, which forms the bottomVof the pocket formed by the Walls 23, 24 and 25, and vvhichv extensionoccupies a position Wholly to one side of the longitudinal median lineof the element, vfor the .reason recited in connectionV with the gate33.V

In each of the elements there is a vertical bend 41, Which combinedformy aV Wall .Which completes the pocket comprising the Walls 23, 24and 25. At its end nextthe comslot the delivering element carries aprojection' 42 of L-section disposed in opposition t0 the edge 36 of thereleasing ele- "ment as best shovvn in Figs. 2 and 3 WhichV at a pointalong its median line and by solid lines in Fig. 2)Y

forms the coin engaging element for the movement of the dischargingelement to effeet lateral movement of the extension 40, or pocketbottom, from a position beneath Y the pocket, to a position removed fromthe pocket as shown by solid and broken lines,

respectively, in Fig. 2 c Y V v The element 40 i held to' a normalposition by a spring 43 similar to the spring 33, but of a lighterytension, and a stop (not shown) similar to the described stop 39. Y

As shown in Fig. l the base 10 is `pro-V vided With a receiver 44, andtheV coin receptacle next the receiver is notched to forni an opening45, through which the .released and delivered article is directed to thereceiver.

article directing, or conducting,

means, just referred to, comprises a duct 46 disposed as shown in Fig; lwith its upper, open, end lying directly beneath the pocket and itslower, open, with the opening 45 is' preferably constructed of tivopieces of sheet metal, bent as shovvn in Fig. 5 and secured to a blockresting on the base.

In order 'to obviatel operationbf the dclivering element, by means otherthan a coin,fsuch as a'thinbladed instrument l provide a springlatch 47,Which normallyV stands in a position preventing movement of theprojection 42, and extension, or poc-k- `et bottom end registering Thebody or spring portion ofthe latch resides just inside the described lipE28-and hence is above the plane of an instrument inserted for therelease of the latch, but'V such spring is provided with a portion 48standing inthe plane of arcoin carried and moved Yby the'edgeV 36`andslioulderi? of the article releasing means so that as the spring movesthe releasing Vmeans vto rcturn, or normal position, a Vcoin carriedthereby engages the portion 48 of thc spring body and forces itoutwardly to effect a release of the latch 47ffrom the projection 4.2 topermitv an actuation'of the delivering element, as best shown in Fig. 4.

The operation is vas follows: Assuming the receptacle 17 to containarticles .for release and delivery, such as the ball gum described; thegate in its normal position, preventing release of an article lying inthe opening 22; tom7 40 in its normal position Vpreventing delivery from`the pocket and the latch47 locking-the projection 42, the Vvendeeinserts a coin through the Coin slot 27 which j. coin rests on the,shelf 32 and visfvforced manually thereover to engage the Ycam Alt thisstep in the coin movement ja peripheral point on the coin is inengagement WithV the end of the coin slot.- A continued manual movementofthe coin held againstv lateral movement inv one direction the deliverypocket bot# 5 by the slot forces the cam laterally against the tensionof the spring 38 and effects ya withdrawal of the gate and therebyreleases an article from the receptacle 17, to tall into the pocket torest on the pocket bottom 40.

A continued mann-al movement of the coin brings it beyond the cam andthe end 7 of the coin slot 27, to engagement with the edge 36 andshoulder 37, of the releasing element, at which time, ot course, thesaid cam is in a laterally shifted position, as shown by dotted lines inFig. 2.

At the moment the coin passes the cam and coin slot the edge 36 byreason of the spring 38 moves the coin laterally and the shoulder 37functions with the edge 36 to carry the coin to a position contactingthe spring portion 48 and moves the latch 47 to release the projection42 as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4. rlhe coin movement is thencontinued by the spring 38 to move the projection 42 to a positioncarrying the pocket bottom 40 to open position which drops the articlefrom the pocket into the duct 46 and receiver 44. At this period the twosprings 38 and 43 are exerting opposing pressures on the coin heldbetween the projection 42 and bevelled edge 36 suiticient to eject thecoin over the bevelled edge to tall into the coin receptacle ll.

Following the release of the coin the springs 38 and 43 restore the gate33 and pocket bottom 40 to closed, normal positions as determined bystops such as 39 and the cam 35 and projection 42 to their normalpositions the latter being locked in such position by the latch 47.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim as new therein anddesire to secure by Letters Patent ot the United States therefor, is;

l. ln a vending machine, an article receptacle, an element comprising agate for normally preventing release of articles from the receptacle anda portion for engagement by a manually inserted and moved coin formoving the gate to article releasing position and an element comprisinga bottom :tor normally preventing delivery of the released article and aportion for engagement by the coin as moved by the first mentionedelement for moving the bottom to delivering position.

2. In a vending machine, an article receptacle having a dischargeopening, a spring actuated element comprising a gate for normallypreventing release of articles from the discharge opening and meanswhereby a manually inserted and moved coin willellect movement of thegate to releasing position, a pocket for the released article, a springactuated element comprising a bottom for normally preventing delivery ofthe released article from the pocket and means whereby the coin coastingwith said spring actuated element will el'l'ectn'iovement of the bottomtor delivery of the article from the pocket.

3. ln a vending machine, an article ceptacle, a coin receptacle, anelement normally preventing' release ot' articles from the articlereceptacle, a spring :tor holding the element to its normal position, acoin engaging projection carried by said element for its movement toarticle releasing position, a pocket for receiving the released article,an element normally preventing delivery of the article from the pocket,a spring' tor holding the second mentioned element to its normalposition, a coin engaging element for the movement of the secondmentioned element to article delivery position, means whereby theopposing pressures oit said springs will eject a coin held between thecoin engaged projections to fall into the coin receptacle and means forconducting the released and delivered article through the coinreceptacle.

4. In a vending machine, an article receptacle, a coin receptacle, anelement normally preventing release or" articles from the articlereceptacle, a spring for holding the element to its normal position, acoin engaging projection carried by said element for its movement toarticle releasing position, a pocket for receiving the released article,an element normally preventing delivery of the article from the pocket,a spring for holding the second mentioned element to its normalposition, a coin engaging element for the movement of the secondmentioned element to article delivery position, means whereby theopposing pressures of said springs will eject a coin held between thecoin engaged projections to fall into the coin receptacle and means forconducting the released and delivered article through the coinreceptacle, the spring of the second mentioned element being of lightertension than the spring of the iirst mentioned element whereby the coinas moved by the first mentioned element may move the second mentionedelement to delivery position upon a return movement of the firstmentioned element to article release preventing position.

5. A vending machine comprising article releasing and deliveringelements arranged for movements in one direction by a coin, means forreturning said elements to normal positions following their movements bythe coin, coacting coin engaged devices on said elements whereby aninserted coin will upon manual movement actuate the releasing elementand the releasing element by its returning means and the coin actuatethe delivering element, and, means for ejecting the .Coin from betweenth-e said devices.

6. A vending machine comprising article releasing and deliveringelements arranged for movements in one direction by a coin, means forreturning said elements to normal positions following their movements bythe coin, eoaeting coin engaged devices on said elements whereby aninserted ooiniyvill upon manual movement aetuate the releasing. elementand the releasing element by its returning means andthe coin actua'tethe delivering element', mea-ns Afor ejeeting the coin from betweenthesaid devices, and, a coinreleaseble locking Vdevice for thedelivering element. o

- EDGAR BCKER.

